January Transfer Window 2024

[lexicon]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

I don't think we need one of that calibre.....I think your type of suggestion, in your second line,  is what we need.

How many, players have you identified, this season, who would not get in our team under normal circumstances, but we have struggled against them...I can think of plenty, in many teams.

Would you have ever believed, you could win the league, and the European cup, with Des Bremner, in the side......only because he has, but many would say no...That is no disrespect to Des, who I value highly, but he is not a technicall gifted player, is my point.

We have oodles of piano players, we need a few piano carriers to help us through some of the agricultural games we are going to face.....that does not mean they play every week, or secure a first team spot.....but we need a bit of grit, to come in and help the talent/guile.

John McGinn, can't do it all on his own.

 

The issue there is our play style dictates that we need technical players as a pre-requisite. When you combine strong physical types with the technical side of things, the price goes up quickly, unfortunately. 

[macandally]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

so, are you telling me one quality CDM in a squad of 25 is sufficient to launch an ambitious assault on the Premier league? and other competitions.

No one has suggested you buy a player, soley based on a 3 match ban or form dip.

The suggestion is based on an eye test, to witness how a young CDM facing an Arduous league campaign and a European cup campaign, and a possible domestic cup, might need some help in a position, that is extremely demanding.

CDM is one of the most crucial positions on a football field....and it requires a combative and robust approach, which attracts suspensions and injuries, not to mention form challenges.

To have one, is a squad weakness imo.

I think you are answering a different question, originally poster was talking Ramsey, a player in a position where we are well stacked 

[WHY]

If we can get a right back in who has the same impact Moreno did when he came last Jan that would be a massive plus for the second half of the season. Not saying we don’t need more than that btw. Just think it’s the obvious position that can be upgraded without costing a fortune. 

Edited December 28, 2023 by WHY

[RicRic]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

so, are you telling me one quality CDM in a squad of 25 is sufficient to launch an ambitious assault on the Premier league? and other competitions.

No one has suggested you buy a player, soley based on a 3 match ban or form dip.

The suggestion is based on an eye test, to witness how a young CDM facing an Arduous league campaign and a European cup campaign, and a possible domestic cup, might need some help in a position, that is extremely demanding.

CDM is one of the most crucial positions on a football field....and it requires a combative and robust approach, which attracts suspensions and injuries, not to mention form challenges.

To have one, is a squad weakness imo.

Simple as this and we wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity and fall short towards the final and crucial part of the season

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, VillanousOne said:

2023 Jan transfers to name but a few

Spurs: Pedro Porro 
Arsenal: Trossard, Jorginho 
Wolves: Matheus Cunha
Forest: Danilo
Newcastle: Anthony Gordon
Liverpool: Cody Gakpo

All desperate poorly run clubs.

Trophies Won = Zero

Also a few of them have been flops

Edited December 28, 2023 by Zatman

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Awol said:

A team that is exceeding expectations in terms of their league position, and with the potential to go deep in two cup competitions, might decide that reinforcing the squad with one or two quality additions in January is prudent risk management. 

The sign of a good, well run team.

How many times have a Real Madrid, Man City, Bayern Munich made big January transfers or a team exceeding expectations signed a player that took them further?

[OLDVILLAIN]

At this stage i am going to put my trust in monchi and his team...

whoever we get in january hopefully strengthens us as i am sure unai knows what he wants.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, lexicon said:

 

The issue there is our play style dictates that we need technical players as a pre-requisite. When you combine strong physical types with the technical side of things, the price goes up quickly, unfortunately. 

Thats where we are at...as the saying goes " If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"

We have already, got a quality CDM for nowt.....we can't keep doing that....at some stage, we have to pay the going rate....However, there must be some deals around we can do.

What about Phillips at Man City or Hojbjerg at Spurs, just off the top of my head....The recruitment team must have a few pearlers.

I don't think we need technical players in every position, despite our playing style, thats where we are limited in facing aggressive teams.....but I'm not saying cloggers either....you see Man City, when Rodri is absent, their technical players struggle a bit.

We need the odd player who can do a job, not always the passing skills of Glenn Hoddle.

Desie Bremner, played alongside Sid Cowans, what a contrast that was......but it works.

Ps its clear, that Dougie misses kamara, when he's out.

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by TRO

[paul514]

1 hour ago, OLDVILLAIN said:

At this stage i am going to put my trust in monchi and his team...

whoever we get in january hopefully strengthens us as i am sure unai knows what he wants.

Unai obviously has lots of credit in the bank, Monchi has a rep but not here.

its a unique situation for us with the obvious pulling power we have right this second, we may not have it in the next few windows.

its time to go balls to the wall with whatever we can spend within the limits.

[eholm]

12 hours ago, RicRic said:

Yeah FFP thats the only thing holding us back, well and probably sides like Newcastle too.

Yeah better cover for Ollie is key for us because we are solely reliant on him, but we will try and sign a hybrid player someone that can play there and on the left behind striker. 
 

Our priority i would assume is the RB position and would like that to be a similar profile of Alex Moreno.

Might do a buy and a loan deal for two players. I see at least two coming in and two going out. 

 

 

Agree mate. It will be interesting to see how this window pans out…..I still wouldn’t be totally surprised if we did nothing (although would be a bit disappointed). Let the fun and games begin !!

[eholm]

13 hours ago, TRO said:

We have scored 40 goals to date, its massive improvement.

The creativity, is in the squad....We have some elite creative players....and they are the ones that cost the big money.

We need some help from players, who can stop opponents from gaining the initiative in games......We have seen Arsenal sign Rice, We see how crucial Rodri is to Man City, and how Spurs miss Bentancur.....these players create the platform from which the team ticks....central midfield.

Kamara has been a massive miss imo.....but to have one, in a squad of 25, is questionable to me....with injuries, suspensions, and form dips, we need more than just Kamara, to give us power, he is the engine room.

However, Unai deems fit to improve us....our goals against, needs some attention.

Agreed. However, I guess Dendoncker is his current deputy although I am sure Unai would like to upgrade him. Our biggest issue will be moving players like him on. We’ve got players who fill out the squad who are on very good wages but need improving on e.g. Dendoncker, Traore etc. FFP will hamstring us to a certain extent in this regard. I cannot see a way in which we sign another CDM without shifting Dendoncker on - and that will not be easy unfortunately. 

[Sulberto21]

6 hours ago, TRO said:

Thats where we are at...as the saying goes " If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"

We have already, got a quality CDM for nowt.....we can't keep doing that....at some stage, we have to pay the going rate....However, there must be some deals around we can do.

What about Phillips at Man City or Hojbjerg at Spurs, just off the top of my head....The recruitment team must have a few pearlers.

I don't think we need technical players in every position, despite our playing style, thats where we are limited in facing aggressive teams.....but I'm not saying cloggers either....you see Man City, when Rodri is absent, their technical players struggle a bit.

We need the odd player who can do a job, not always the passing skills of Glenn Hoddle.

Desie Bremner, played alongside Sid Cowans, what a contrast that was......but it works.

Ps its clear, that Dougie misses kamara, when he's out.

 

We do need technical players in every position. It’s the style of football that our manager demands. No point winning the ball and then giving it back to the other team.

Nigel reo coker. 

[M_Afro]

20 minutes ago, eholm said:

Agreed. However, I guess Dendoncker is his current deputy although I am sure Unai would like to upgrade him. Our biggest issue will be moving players like him on. We’ve got players who fill out the squad who are on very good wages but need improving on e.g. Dendoncker, Traore etc. FFP will hamstring us to a certain extent in this regard. I cannot see a way in which we sign another CDM without shifting Dendoncker on - and that will not be easy unfortunately. 

If an opportunity to move Dendoncker on arises, I wonder if we would risk moving him on without securing a replacement until the summer. It’s a chance for us to take advantage of a desperate team like we did with Ings last season and also makes space available for the very start of the summer window.

I would be tempted at the right price, although it’s risky. We are of course in a much different position to this time last year however so I suspect we would act with greater caution. I thought it was a brave move to sell Ings last January but I thought at the time that it was the right thing to do. Would we be so brave again?

[eholm]

7 minutes ago, M_Afro said:

If an opportunity to move Dendoncker on arises, I wonder if we would risk moving him on without securing a replacement until the summer. It’s a chance for us to take advantage of a desperate team like we did with Ings last season and also makes space available for the very start of the summer window.

I would be tempted at the right price, although it’s risky. We are of course in a much different position to this time last year however so I suspect we would act with greater caution. I thought it was a brave move to sell Ings last January but I thought at the time that it was the right thing to do. Would we be so brave again?

Good question. I too would be tempted. I guess it would depend on how highly UE rates Tim or Youri's ability to replace Kamara as and when required.

Unai has shown that he will be ruthless where required so its definitely a possiblity. 

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Sulberto21 said:

We do need technical players in every position. It’s the style of football that our manager demands. No point winning the ball and then giving it back to the other team.

Nigel reo coker. 

Thats what we did, on Sunday, with technical players...we lost the ball at an alarming rate, and showed little urgency.....these elements of a game are a pre-requisite.

You can still sign central midfielders with aggression and muscle, and with technical ability....Rodri, Rice, Bentancur, are such players.

Edited December 29, 2023 by TRO

[macandally]

13 minutes ago, TRO said:

Thats what we did, on Sunday, with technical players...we lost the ball at an alarming rate, and showed little urgency.....these elements of a game are a pre-requisite.

You can still sign central midfielders with aggression and muscle, and with technical ability....Rodri, Rice, Bentancur, are such players.

We were the creators of our own downfall at Old Trafford, the crowd had turned against them, booed off at half time, we then conspired to let them back in via a gift and then couldn’t stem the crowd induced tide.  

Unai would be pulling his hair out and I am not sure any side or player introduction can turn that back around once OT is pulling in the same direction. 

[alexvilla4]

I wish we had gone for João Pedro. He looked a top prospect in the Championship and Brighton bought him for not a lot more than we sold Archer for. 

Starting to show his worth now and would have been ideal for the second striker role. Much better work rate than Diaby

[TRO]

29 minutes ago, macandally said:

We were the creators of our own downfall at Old Trafford, the crowd had turned against them, booed off at half time, we then conspired to let them back in via a gift and then couldn’t stem the crowd induced tide.  

Unai would be pulling his hair out and I am not sure any side or player introduction can turn that back around once OT is pulling in the same direction. 

I agree, and not for the first time....they were being let back in before the gift, by our passive interplay and losing the ball.

There is a saying in football circles....."silence the crowd" and as you quite rightly say, at half time, they was getting booed...so it was perfect for us....silencing the crowd infers a certain type of approach to the game to do so, we didn't. We, goals wise, just had the perfect start and I suspect, it came too easy and we gained a false sense of security..which in turn led to our vulnerability.

However, to silence crowds, you need certain types of characters to help......I feel Unai will introduce a few, in due course.

I hope this window, is kind to us.

Edited December 29, 2023 by TRO

[RicRic]

2 hours ago, eholm said:

Agree mate. It will be interesting to see how this window pans out…..I still wouldn’t be totally surprised if we did nothing (although would be a bit disappointed). Let the fun and games begin !!

Id probably be lets say surprised if we didn’t  at least sign one but two might feel like a treat.. either way we will be smart and these last couple matches will have highlighted more missing components which we need to get over the line.

Cash is a excellent player but we have outgrew him in our trajectory so hes not exactly playing terrible he isn’t at the level we are currently at so a new right-back is key for us and allows konsa and pau to pair up again. 
 

I think Emery sticks with Ramsey/Zaniolo well even Tielemans who has played well in that area but he may look for a player across the front line to add to watkins and duran. 

 

 

[jacketspuds]

33 minutes ago, alexvilla4 said:

I wish we had gone for João Pedro. He looked a top prospect in the Championship and Brighton bought him for not a lot more than we sold Archer for. 

Starting to show his worth now and would have been ideal for the second striker role. Much better work rate than Diaby

Agreed.

There are some decent young players in the Championship that we could bring in and probably wouldn’t cost the earth.

Someone I wouldn’t mind us looking at is Yaser Asprilla at Watford.